Suggestions for Summer Reading

Students Entering Sixth Grade

Blackwood: The Shakespeare Stealer c1998 historical fiction/mystery
Widge, a likeable orphan, finds himself in the middle of an adventure to steal and copy the play HAMLET from Shakespeare. He soon discovers that life in the Globe Theatre is much better than the other places he has apprenticed.

Broach: Shakespeare's Secret c2005 mystery
Hero moves into a new town and finds she is living in an old house with an unusual past. With the help of the police chief's son and her neighbor, Hero tries to unravel the mystery.

Carbone: Stealing Freedom c1998 historical fiction/diversity
This story is based on the true experiences of a young slave girl who escapes to Canada on the Underground Railroad.

Creech: The Wanderer c2000 . adventure
Told through journal writings, Sophie and her cousin, Cody, share the experiences of their journey on a sailboat, The Wanderer, from Connecticut to England with six crew members, including her uncles and cousins.

Cushman: The Ballad of Lucy Whipple c1996 historical fiction
Lucy isn’t happy when her mother moves the family from New England to California for the Gold Rush.

Di Camillo: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread c2003 fantasy
Tale of a tiny mouse with huge ears, a princess that he loves, a servant girl who wishes to be a princess and a rat named Roscuro who yearns for soup.

Funke: Inkheart c2003 fantasy
A girl and her father, a bookbinder who can “read” fictional characters into real life, are abducted by one of the characters, who tries to force them into his service.

Giff: Nory Ryan’s Song c2000 historical fiction
Twelve-year-old Nory Ryan helps her family and neighbors survive during the 1845 potato famine in Ireland.

Haddix: Double Identity c2005 mystery
Bethany becomes curious about her past when her parents unexpectedly disappear after leaving her with an aunt who she did not know existed. As the story unravels, the conclusion uncovers a shocking secret.

Hesse: Music of the Dolphins c1996 realistic fiction
The thoughts of a young girl, who was raised by dolphins from 4 years old after a plane crash, are recorded by a scientist as she is reintroduced to a civilized way of life.

Holm: Penny from Heaven c2006 historical fiction Newbery Honor winner
In New Jersey during the summer of 1953, eleven-year-old Penny, living with her mother and maternal grandparents, learns the truth about her father's death and about her upbringing after she has a serious accident.

Isaacs: Torn Thread c2000 historical fiction
During World War II, twelve year-old Eva, living in Poland at the time, is sent by her father to a Nazi labor camp in Czechoslovakia, where her sickly sister has been taken.

Kehret: Abduction! c2004 adventure, contemporary realistic fiction

Thirteen-year-old Bonnie, on a quest to find her kidnapped brother and his dog, becomes a victim of the kidnapper as well.

Levine: Hana's Suitcase: A True Story c2002 biography
The director of a newly opened Holocaust museum in Japan and her students become intrigued with a suitcase from a concentration camp found among the museum's artifacts. The story of a Czech girl, Hana Brady, a victim of the Holocaust, unfolds through the search for information about a suitcase.

Paratore: The Wedding Planner’s Daughter c2005 humor, romance
A twelve-year-old girl, whose mother is a wedding planner, wishes for her mother to marry.

Ryan: Esperanza Rising c2000 historical fiction, diversity
During the Great Depression, Esperanza and her mother are forced from their wealthy home in Mexico to Southern California where they work in harsh conditions.

Smith: Peak c2005 adventure, coming-of-age
Fourteen-year-old Peak Marcello’s goal is to become the youngest person to reach the top of Mt. Everest.